Everyday Stranger
by KB103
Summary: A/U. Christmas one-shot. Arizona receives more than just a surprise lost Christmas card this year.


Title: Everyday Stranger  
>Author: KB103<br>Pairing: Callie/Arizona  
>Rating: T<br>Summary: A/U. Christmas one-shot. Arizona receives more than just a surprise lost Christmas card this year.  
>Disclaimer: I do not own Grey's, that distinction is reserved for Shonda. No copyright infringement is intended by this story, just lots of smiles and giggles.<p>

A/N: I wrote this last Christmas for a challenge, but hadn't posted it here yet, so here you go. The prompt was Lost Christmas Card.

Happy Reading,

~KB~

* * *

><p><em>Everyday Stranger<em>

The snow fell lightly from the sky, peppering the Boston ground. It wasn't too chilly, but the air was certainly brisk, perfect for the Christmas season. Arizona Robbins collected the mail from her mailbox as the sun began to peak over the horizon. She was wrapped in a blanket over her pajamas, not having invested in a decent robe. Her blonde curls hung loosely around her shoulders. Quickly, she flipped through the envelopes she held in her hand. One letter caught her eye. It was like a postcard, but within seconds, the blonde recognized it as a Christmas card. The realization caused a smile to instantly spread across her face. The blonde held the card up, so she could look at the picture. Her eyes landed on a beautiful Latina woman, her smile and chocolate brown orbs twinkling at the blonde. Still standing in the frigid, winter air, Arizona turned the card over, revealing a somewhat sloppy cursive scrawl.

_Aria,_

_I thought perhaps I should send you a Christmas card. We are sisters after all. I know Dad isn't talking to me, but I thought this picture would at least make you smile. You always grilled me about my boyfriends, so the picture also includes Erica, my girlfriend. I hope you will at least call me. I miss you terribly._

_-Calliope_

Confused, Arizona turned the card back to the picture. Sure enough there was another woman in the photo. She had curly sandy blonde hair and eyes nearly as blue as Arizona's own. Arizona's jaw clenched as she couldn't help but think this "Erica" woman wasn't pretty enough for Calliope. Shaking her head at her ridiculous thoughts, the blonde went back into her house still clutching the Christmas card. She climbed the stairs to the second floor before walking down the hallway to her bedroom.

Rifling through her closet, she finally found what she had been searching for. She pulled out a scrapbook. Opening it slowly, Arizona flipped through a couple of the pages. She smiled , remembering the various Christmases of her childhood. Her father was a colonel in the United States Marine Corps, so she moved around a lot as a child. Christmas, though, always had been her favorite holiday. Every once in awhile, their family would receive a random Christmas card that was intended for the previous tenants. As a child, the blonde had come to collect the cards and put them in a scrapbook.

Her lost Christmas cards.

Grabbing the scrapbook, Arizona headed back downstairs. She curled up on the couch, opening the book on her lap. She spent the next hour or so flipping through the worn pages. They were populated with illustrations, old Christmas lists, and the like. The blonde had forgotten how many of these she had received as a child. A smile crossed her face as her eyes landed on one year in particular. She was twelve and the Robbins family received a Christmas card from the Svetes, a family from Indiana. It was intended for their cousins, but instead they heard from Arizona. For a few years after that, Arizona continued to receive Christmas cards from the Svetes, but alas, like most things, that too came to pass.

The blonde turned her head towards the door as she heard a knock. "Hello?" A voice asked tentatively.

"Teddy?" Arizona shouted, figuring it was her good friend.

"Arizona?" Teddy called as she opened the door to her friend's house.

Arizona looked up from the scrapbook at the sound of Teddy's voice. "In here!" she responded, still sitting on her leather couch.

Teddy hung up her coat before dropping her purse at the base of the rack. She entered the living room and immediately stopped in her tracks. "Is that what I think it is?"

"No," Arizona replied, snapping the book shut. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Teddy approached the couch quickly, wrapping her fingers around the old scrap book, and trying to rip it from Arizona's clutches. They wrestled around the couch for a couple of minutes. Teddy, however, finally managed to tear the scrapbook from the other blonde's hands. She collapsed against the soft leather in victory. As she opened it, a frown settled on her face. "This is definitely not what I thought it was.

Arizona let out a small laugh. "Well what'd you think it was?"

"That one book you have of all the embarrassing photos ever taken in the world."

Arizona scoffed at her friend's melodrama. "This is definitely not that book."

"What is this, Arizona?" Teddy asked, flipping through the pages. "Who are these people?"

"It's my lost Christmas card book. Have you never seen this?" Arizona agreed as she took back the tattered scrapbook.

"No, I haven't seen it," Teddy answered. "Exactly what is a 'lost Christmas card'?"

"Well you know I moved around a lost as a kid? Sometimes we would accidentally receive Christmas cards meant for the people who lived there before us. Being the odd kid I was, I kept them and sent the original senders letters that told them their addresses weren't current," Arizona explained. "I got another one today, which was odd because I've been living here for over two years."

"That is weird," the other blonde concurred. "So what are you going to do about it?"

Arizona closed the book and stood up. "I'm going to write her a letter, and get ready for my party tomorrow."

Teddy laughed at her friend's determination. "Well ok then. To the mall we go."

* * *

><p>A frantic knock sounded through the house in the early morning. Arizona groaned as she stirred in her bed. She was exhausted from the day of shopping she spent with Teddy, and had been looking forward a long night of sleep before she had to get up and start decorating and cooking. Another knock, however, forced the blonde from the comforts of her relaxing cushions. She rushed to the door, swinging it open impatiently. "What?" She spat tiredly.<p>

"Wow, you are not Aria," a woman replied.

Surprised by the statement, Arizona rubbed her eyes, to try and force herself to focus a bit more. A woman stood outside her house, bag in hand. She was tall and had long black hair. She looked to be Hispanic, something Arizona had always been attracted to. Even at this hour, Arizona was quite aware of how beautiful the woman standing on her doorstep was. After a couple of seconds, the blonde realized this gorgeous woman was Calliope from the Christmas. "Oh my God, you're Calliope!" She blurted.

"Excuse me!" the woman replied, completely taken aback by this stranger's knowledge of her name. "How could you possibly know that?"

"Please come in," the blonde ushered, without answering the Latina's question. Begrudgingly, the brunette followed Arizona into the house. Arizona led the other woman to the kitchen, motioning for her to sit at the table. "Would you like some coffee?" Arizona asked politely.

"I would like to know who the hell you are and why you know my name?" the brunette replied cheekily, "but coffee will do."

Arizona shakily poured the brunette a cup of coffee. She wasn't exactly sure how she was going to go about admitting to this gorgeous woman that she had received a Christmas card, and had kept it in a book. In truth, Arizona had crafted a letter of her own to reply to the gorgeous Latina from the card, but hadn't been able to send it. And now, the woman showed up on her doorstep at 2:30 in the morning.

This morning was just perfect.

"Here's your coffee," Arizona said as she placed the mug on the table in front of her random visitor. She took a seat opposite the brunette. "So is there a reason why you woke me up at 2:30am?"

The Latina glared across the table. "I came to look for my sister, Aria. Now," she said, taking a long sip of coffee, "I would like the answers to my questions."

"My name is Arizona Robbins," she replied. "I moved here two years ago, and do not know the forwarding address for your sister, Aria. As for how I know your name, you sent me a Christmas card," Arizona finished her explanation with just a hint of sarcasm. Normally she was calm and accommodating, but it was much too early (or late for that matter) for her to be polite, especially when her guest was making no such effort.

"First, call me Callie. Only my father calls me Calliope. Second, technically I sent my sister a Christmas card. How was I supposed to know you lived here? Also, what'd you do with the card?" the brunette spat, her voice reflecting the growing anger she felt. "Most people would send it back. What'd you do, keep it? Are you like stalking me now?"

Arizona sat in her chair, wide eyed. Never in her life had she encountered such hostility. The blonde got up from her seat, walking over to the table next to her front door. She picked up the letter sitting on top, marched back into the dining room, and threw it onto the mahogany table so that it landed right in front of her visitor. "There's the letter I wrote in response to your Christmas card. You're lucky it's so cold out, or else I would seriously throw you out on your sorry behind. I've done nothing wrong here. I'm going to bed. The guestroom is down the hall."

Callie watched as the blonde stormed out of the room and back up the stairs. She toyed with the letter on the table, flipping it between her fingers. She finally decided to open it, tearing at the thin paper. She pulled out the piece of paper and set it on the table.

_Dear Calliope,_

_I'm sorry to inform you that your sister, Aria, no longer lives here. In fact, I've lived here for about two years now, so I'm not exactly sure how to broach that subject. I do hope you're not alone on Christmas, despite the fact that apparently your family isn't talking to you at the moment. Erica seems nice, and I wish you both a merry Christmas. As I write this, I realize that this seems to be a bit of a personal note despite the fact that I know next to nothing about you. You just seemed to need a friend, and it being Christmas and all, I will happily be that person. Merry Christmas, Calliope._

_All my best,_

_Arizona Robbins_

_p.s. I hope you don't mind that I kept the card. I moved around a lot as a kid and we randomly received cards, so I have a bit of a collection. Of course, if you want it, just let me know and I would gladly send it back._

Callie stared at the letter in wonder. That was the last thing she expected from the blonde. The woman who had graciously let the Latina into her house was truly kind and warmhearted. It pained Callie to know that she had been rude to such a nice person. As she got up from the table, Callie resolved to apologize in the morning. She made her way back to the guestroom, eager to be able to lay down and get a decent night's sleep.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Callie woke up to the sound of Christmas music floating through the house. She begrudgingly pulled herself out of bed and padded to the bathroom. After taking a shower, the brunette rifled through her bag for a pair of jeans. She slid into the slim fitting dark wash pants before pulling a black tank top over her head. She quietly slid down the hallway and into the kitchen, passing by her reluctant hostess who was stringing up decorations in the living room and singing badly to the blaring Christmas music.<p>

Shaking her head, the Latina rummaged through the kitchen. She managed to find some eggs, cheese, onions, and spinach in Arizona's extremely bare fridge. She cracked the eggs into a skillet, beginning the process of making an omelet. She smiled when she heard the notes to O Holy Night begin to play. It was her favorite Christmas carol. She couldn't help but hum as she continued to cook the omelets.

Arizona heard the gorgeous melody float from the kitchen. She inhaled deeply as the aroma of food wafted to her nostrils. The blonde thought she may die at the sight of the gorgeous Latina in her kitchen. There was no doubt she was beautiful, and as she continued to sing one of her favorite carols, Arizona actually thought she might faint. After taking a deep breath, she managed to compose herself. "What are you cooking?"

Callie turned around. "I thought I'd make you breakfast," Callie replied shyly. "You know, to make up for my poor attitude last night, and the fact that I just sort of crashed your Christmas celebration and I don't know you at all." She held up a hand to stop her own ramble. "Sorry, I'm rambling. Basically it's a peace offering and an apology," Callie finished, presenting a plate to the blonde.

"Thanks," Arizona replied, taking the plate. "Apology accepted."

"So is there a reason you're decorating like a fiend?"

"Other than the fact it's Christmas Eve?" the blonde deadpanned.

"Yeah," Callie chuckled. "Other than the obvious."

"I'm throwing a party tonight for my coworkers," the blonde replied. "You can stay if you want. It might be fun."

Callie shook her head sadly. "Nah, I think I'm going to head back to Seattle."

"Will you have friends around?"

The Latina shrugged. "My best friend lives in LA and my other good friend is spending Christmas with his girlfriend's family. So I suppose not, unless you want to count my cracked roommate."

"Well then," Arizona declared, slapping her hands against the counter. "It's settled. You're staying here. Grab your coat, we're going shopping."

Callie didn't argue as she cleared their plates. She threw on her coat and slipped into her boots. Following Arizona out the door, she pulled it shut behind her. She climbed into Arizona's car and buckled her seat belt. Within a couple of minutes, they were driving down the road towards the store. "So what are we shopping for?"

"Food," Arizona replied curtly.

The brunette rolled her eyes. "That's descriptive."

"There's a long list," the blonde retorted. "And the less you know, the better because you're going to help me cook all this."

"Oh is that so?" Callie asked.

Arizona nodded. "Yep." She winked. "You have to earn your keep somehow."

The Latina couldn't help but laugh at Arizona's remark. They walked into the grocery store together, each secretly musing at how right it felt to be shopping together. Until this moment, Callie had been reluctant to acknowledge the energy passing between them. Right now, however, as they walked closely, their hands brushing lightly, it was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. They walked down the aisles, collecting their various grocery items as they went. Before long¸ the cart was overflowing with food. The brunette was seriously afraid for what her afternoon was going to entail.  
>Surprisingly, she actually had a lot of fun. The two women spent the afternoon and early evening preparing the food for the party that night. Arizona had sworn up and down that she was a terrible cook, but Callie just thought she didn't give herself enough credit. They managed to set up the spread of food by 5:30, leaving just enough time to get themselves ready.<p>

By 7:00, Arizona's house was crowded with people. Callie stood in the corner of the living room, sipping on her drink in an effort to avoid the mass of people she didn't know. As a general rule, Callie had taken to avoiding Christmas parties. They were hostile. Since she had been cut off by her father, Christmas had lost its usual sparkle for her. She was without her family during the holidays, so for the past few years, Callie never quite had cause to celebrate. Sure, she spent the holidays with Mark, and sometimes with Addison, but as a child Christmas was her favorite time of the year.

Callie loved her sleep, but every Christmas morning, she and Aria would wake up at the crack of dawn to open presents. In most families, as the children grew older, the present opening came later. That was not the case in the Torres household. By the time Callie was a senior, she and Aria would be awake at 5:30am, killing time until 6:00, which was the acceptable parental wakeup time. They would sip on hot coco and talk about their lives. It was a miracle, the brunette mused, that she had managed to have a decent relationship with her sister. She and Aria were completely different. Separated only by three years, Aria grew up in her older sister's shadow, something she never let Callie forget. In spite of that, however, Aria never truly resented her sister, and they actually were able to maintain a strong bond.

That is until their father severed it.

After Callie came out to him three years ago, he had cut her off. Initially the Latina thought she had only lost her trust fund. She quickly came to realize, however, that she had also lost her family. For three years, she hadn't heard from them. The first year she had sent a Christmas card, was met with silence. She tried calling, but again was met with silence. She sent a somewhat pleading note to Aria, hoping that she would contact the brunette. Arriving on her "sister's" doorstep, however, was decidedly unplanned. Erica, the girlfriend in the photo, had left Callie in a parking lot a few days prior. That was the last straw for the Latina, who had a minor breakdown following the incident. She made up her mind that she was going to confront her family and her past, so she had hopped on a plane to the Boston address she had for her sister, which clearly was inaccurate.

Perhaps, she thought, it turned out for the best. She had spent the last 24 hours in the company of one of the most beautiful women she had ever laid eyes on. It had been the most fun she'd had in months. If she was truthful, Erica leaving wasn't a shock, in fact, it was probably a long time coming. They weren't exactly the happiest couple. They weren't perfect for each other, but somehow for a little over a year, they'd made it work. Now that she'd spent just a small amount of time with Arizona, however, Callie knew what she'd been missing out on. She'd learned that afternoon, that Arizona was gay, which didn't surprise the Latina in the slightest. She didn't want the blonde to be her rebound girl, but she'd be lying if she said she didn't want to kiss her every time she saw the blonde.

Across the room, Arizona stood chatting with Teddy as she munched on one of Callie's delicious canapés. "Callie's a great cook," Arizona commented to Teddy as she swallowed a bite of her food.

"You know," Teddy said slowly, "Somewhere in the telling of the story of a stranger crashing your Christmas, you failed to mention that a.) she's the woman who sent you a Christmas card, and b.) that she's flipping gorgeous, oh and c.) that you're pretty head over heels right now."  
>Arizona blushed. "I am not head over heels. I'm just really attracted to her."<p>

"Rationalize it however you want, Arizona. The truth is that you want her….badly. And judging by the way she's been looking over at you for the past hour," Teddy said, gesturing towards the brunette with her glass, "she wants you too."

"Whatever you say, Teddy," Arizona replies aloofly , sipping on her wine.

"Go talk to her," Teddy commanded.

Arizona put her wine down in concession. "Fine." The blonde strolled coolly over to the Latina. "You having a good time?" she asked Callie, trying to maintain some type of control over her body, though the wine was making that extremely difficult.

Callie nodded. "Yes I am. Last night, I thought my Christmas Eve was going to be terrible, but thankfully you've given me a pretty good reason to be happy."

A small smile adorned Arizona's features. "I'm glad I was able to do that for you, Calliope."

"I definitely needed it," Callie admitted.

"Will you come with me? I want to show you something."

Callie nodded and placed her wine glass on the shelf next to her. "Sure."

Arizona held out her hand, which Callie gladly accepted. She led them up to the second floor, and down the hall to the blonde's study. Arizona opened the door to the room slowly. There was an envelope sitting on the desk. The blonde picked it up and handed it to Callie. "I got this for you as a Christmas present."

Callie's eyes widened in shock. "You really didn't have to do anything Arizona. You owe me nothing."

The blonde woman shrugged. "It isn't a huge deal, just something I wanted to do for you. The father of one of my patients is a PI and he owed me, so I cashed in."

"I'm not following."

"It's Aria's new address," Arizona answered. "I figured since you flew all the way out here looking for your sister that maybe this would be of use to you. I don't know your entire story, and I don't need to. Just from spending a little time with you, I can tell that you're hurting. No one deserves that much pain, Calliope. So for Christmas, in the true spirit of the holiday, I wanted to do my part in taking that bit of pain away."

Callie was in awe of the woman before her. "You're truly amazing Arizona."

"Most people just say awesome," the blonde countered.

Overcome by her emotions, the brunette felt a few tears slide down her cheeks. She embraced the smaller woman in a tight hug. They stood, locked together, for a few minutes, before pulling away slowly. Before she knew what was happening, Arizona stood on her toes and gently pressed her lips against the Latina's in a languid kiss.

"I think this is the best Christmas present ever," Callie said breathily.

"I am kinda awesome."

"So you've mentioned," the Latina said with a laugh.

"Merry Christmas, Calliope."

"Merry Christmas, Arizona."


End file.
